Surface treatment of silicon or silicon germanium surfaces using organic radicals

Abstract

Processes for surface treatment of a workpiece are provided. In one example implementation, a method can include performing an organic radical based surface treatment process on a workpiece. The organic radical based surface treatment process can include generating one or more species in a first chamber. The surface treatment process can include mixing one or more hydrocarbon molecules with the species to create a mixture. The mixture can include one or more organic radicals. The surface treatment process can include exposing a semiconductor material on the workpiece to the mixture in a second chamber.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for processing a workpiece, the workpiece comprising a semiconductor material, the method comprising performing an organic radical based surface treatment process on the workpiece, the organic radical based surface treatment process comprising:
 generating one or more species using a plasma induced in a first chamber; 
 filtering the one or more species generated by the plasma to create a first mixture; 
 injecting one or more hydrocarbon molecules into the first mixture post filtering to create a second mixture, the second mixture comprising one or more organic radicals; and 
 exposing the semiconductor material to the second mixture in a second chamber, wherein the second chamber being separated from the first chamber. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor material comprises silicon. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor material comprises silicon germanium. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more organic radicals are generated by dissociating the one or more hydrocarbon molecules in the first chamber. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more hydrocarbon molecules have a chemical formula of C n H 2n+2 , where n is greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to 10. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more hydrocarbon molecules have a chemical formula of C n H 2n , where n is greater than or equal to 2 and n is less than or equal to 10. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more organic radicals are generated by reaction of the one or more hydrocarbon molecules with the species. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more organic radicals comprise a CH 3  radical. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the organic radical based surface treatment process results in methylation on at least a portion of the semiconductor material. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more species are generated by the plasma induced in a process gas in the first chamber. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the process gas is an inert gas. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the inert gas is helium. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the process gas comprises a hydrogen gas and the species comprise hydrogen radicals. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the species comprise one or more hydrogen radicals generated using a heated filament. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more organic radicals are generated using pyrolysis of molecules or UV-assisted molecule dissociation. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the method comprises filtering one or more ions using a separation grid separating the first chamber from the second chamber. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the workpiece comprises a silicon containing dielectric layer. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , wherein the organic radical based surface treatment process is conducted on the silicon containing dielectric layer to adjust a surface wetting angle of the silicon containing dielectric layer. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , wherein subsequent to conducting the organic radical based surface treatment process, the method comprises performing a wet process on the workpiece. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 18 , wherein prior to conducting the organic radical based surface treatment process, the method comprises performing a wet process on the workpiece. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 17 , wherein the silicon containing dielectric layer comprises a silicon oxide layer, wherein oxygen to silicon ratio exceeds 1 in the silicon oxide layer. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 17 , wherein the silicon containing dielectric layer comprises a silicon nitride layer, wherein nitrogen to silicon ratio exceeds 0.5 in the silicon nitride layer. 
     
     
       23. A method of processing a semiconductor workpiece, the workpiece comprising a semiconductor material, the semiconductor material comprising silicon or silicon germanium, the method comprising performing an organic radical based surface treatment process on the semiconductor material, the organic radical based surface treatment process comprising:
 generating one or more excited species in an inert gas in a plasma chamber by inducing a plasma in the inert gas with an inductively coupled plasma source; 
 filtering the one or more excited species generated by the plasma to create a first mixture; 
 generating one or more organic radicals by injecting one or more hydrocarbon molecules into the first mixture post filtering, wherein the one or more hydrocarbon molecules have a chemical formula of C n H 2n+2  or C n H 2n , where n is greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to 10; and 
 exposing the semiconductor material to the organic radicals in a processing chamber, the processing chamber being separated from the plasma chamber by a separation grid. 
 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 23 , wherein the one or more organic radicals comprises a methyl (CH 3 ) radical.